Puzzled trainee journalists got in touch with an online/telephone revision service between papers as they sat their National Certificate Examination on Friday.

Trainer Cleland Thom set up the free refresher service to answer any last minute queries, and received more than 30 queries in the days running up to the big exam.

They ranged from people who wanted to check ‘logbook’ entries and legal queries to others who sent in mock papers to be marked.

Cleland’s firm, CTJTS, sent out more than 100 files that gave trainees advice on different aspects of law and the NCE exams.

Then he actually got four e-mails and two phone calls while the NCE was taking place.

Cleland said: "We felt there was a need for someone to give trainees support right up to the day of the exams. And we were right. Many trainees don't have this facility - even if they have been on a refresher course.

"It was a pleasure to be able to give some free advice - hopefully it might help some people get the results they are looking for."

CTJTS is one of the country's biggest journalism training organisations. It trained more than 600 journalists in 2004.

Cleland is legal adviser to the Manchester Evening News, Trader Media Group, Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers and The Local Radio Company, and delivers law training to newspapers and radio stations all over the UK.